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Ambrose Announces New Initiatives

Contact: Jeff Murphy
WARRENSBURG, MO (March 11, 2011) – Consistent with the institution’s new Strategic Resource Model, University of Central Missouri President Charles Ambrose announces two new initiatives designed to help the institution meet upcoming opportunities and challenges for the 2011-2012 academic year and enhance student success. These efforts include the Comprehensive Administrative Review and the Strategic Positioning Initiative.

The Administrative Review Process was launched March 2-3, and is designed to align the administrative structure, support, and resources to increase both institutional effectiveness and efficiencies. As part of this effort, Association of Governing Boards representative Rick Staisloff led a group of about 50 university constituents from different administrative units through steps that will be needed to conduct the review. Following the discussions, six Rapid Response Teams were established with a charge to review key processes and assess opportunities. The university this week began seeking individuals to serve on the Rapid Response Teams. These teams will cover Areas of Duplication, Organizational Assessment, Facilities, New Revenue, Auxiliaries, Technology, and Purchasing/Contracts. A lead facilitator group of four university representatives also has been named to work with each team to help access institutional data, financial and policy support.

President Ambrose said the purpose of the administrative review is to “improve the support of the learning environment and experience of students, align resources with the university’s mission and strategic priorities, and identify ways to save cost and enhance efficiencies.”

The administrative review will be completed by June 1, and a final decision regarding any recommendations that come during the review process will be made by the Board of Governors at its June meeting. A draft preliminary report will be prepared in mid-May.

The review is in addition to a review of academic programs that was launched during the fall semester. The review led to a restructuring of academic colleges, reducing the number of colleges from five to four, and the number of academic departments from 33 to 25.

Ambrose said the Strategic Positioning Initiative is in the initial stages of preparation and design, and will benefit the university in the short term and long term. Deeply rooted in student success, it will provide a more articulated understanding of what makes UCM unique, and will help guide the institution in establishing its future priorities.

“Not only will our future decisions, resources and communications be further focused and aligned, the strategic positioning initiative will serve as a blueprint for university growth,” he said.

Ambrose noted that many companies and organizations have used this approach to better define and amplify who they are, what they stand for, and why they do what they do. He added that the initiative will yield a number of key deliverables include a positioning statement, unique attributes of the university, and audience definitions and benefits.

“This effort is not another advertising campaign or a new university marketing promotion theme. This work that will seek broad input from university-wide constituencies will begin this semester and culminate with the start of a new school year this fall,” Ambrose said.

Providing a foundation for the new initiatives, the university’s Strategic Resource Model is guiding the institution at a time when it anticipates a reduction of state funding estimated at 7 percent. The university’s request to the legislature calls for $53.1 million in state funding and a proposed 4.2 percent increase in tuition.